Diagnostic tests and methods for assessing safety, efficacy or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (sit)

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides in vitro and in vivo diagnostic tests and methods for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient. The present invention also provides for the measurement of allergen specific IgG and IgE in a patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or in a biological fluid or blood sample, and determining whether the allergen-specific immunoglobulins contained in the patient sample(s), upon injection into an allergen-sensitized animal, will protect the animal following challenge with the allergen. The invention also provides methods for determining whether a patient suffering from an allergy is responsive to therapy with one or more therapeutic antibodies specific for the allergen.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to diagnostic tests and assay methods for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND

Allergies and allergic diseases are serious medical conditions with consequences ranging from non-life threatening responses that resolve over time to life threatening effects such as anaphylaxis. Allergic reactions can result from contact or exposure to a variety of products such as certain food items, insect venom, plant-derived material (e.g., pollen), chemicals, drugs/medications, and animal dander.

Current treatment options for allergies include avoidance of the allergen where possible, the use of anti-allergy medications to treat the symptoms (e.g. antihistamines and corticosteroids) and prophylaxis using allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT). These current treatment strategies are often inadequate, costly, impractical or involve significant risk. For example, avoidance of allergen is not always possible and can negatively impact on patient and caregiver quality of life. Medications used to treat allergies ameliorate the symptoms, but do not stop the progression. The only therapy that modifies progression of allergies is allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT). However, SIT has several disadvantages in that it requires numerous allergen administrations over a 3 to 5 year period and can cause severe adverse events that range from local allergic reactions to anaphylaxis (Hedlin, et al. (1991), J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 87:955-64; Hedlin, et al., (1986), J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 77:488-96).

Given the potential risks associated with allergen-specific immunotherapy, it would be beneficial to be able to assess the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immmunotherapy during the treatment period and/or at the time of completion of therapy. Such a test or assay method would provide information as to whether the patient is responding to treatment, and as such, it may also allow for a determination as to whether the patient will be adequately protected by SIT. Such a test or assay method would also aid in the determination of when a patient can initiate or terminate maintenance therapy. Currently there are no quantitative tests that aid in these safety or efficacy determinations. Accordingly, an unmet need exists in the art for development of such a diagnostic test, or an assay method for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect the present invention provides a diagnostic test for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, the test comprising:

-   -   (a) obtaining a tissue sample, or an extract thereof, a         biological fluid, or a blood sample from a patient undergoing         allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT);     -   (b) quantitating total IgG, allergen-specific IgG, and         allergen-specific IgE from any one or more of the samples of         (a);     -   (c) reacting the allergen-specific IgG from step (b) with the         allergen for which the patient is undergoing SIT, plus         allergen-specific IgE; and     -   (d) measuring either         -   (i) the amount of allergen-specific IgG in the tissue             sample, or an extract thereof, in the biological fluid, or             in the blood sample obtained from the patient that is bound             to the allergen, or         -   (ii) the amount of allergen-specific IgE displaced or             prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific             IgG contained in the tissue sample, or extract thereof, or             the biological fluid, or the blood sample from the patient,

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgG in the tissue sample, or extract thereof, or the biological fluid, or the blood sample from the patient bound to the allergen is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, or

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgE bound to the allergen and subsequently displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG contained in the tissue sample, or extract thereof, or the biological fluid, or the blood sample from the patient is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient.

In one embodiment, the diagnostic test may be performed in vitro or in vivo.

In one embodiment, the tissue sample obtained from the patient undergoing SIT may be any tissue sample, or extract thereof, biological fluid, or blood sample containing immunoglobulin expressing cells.

In a related embodiment, the tissue sample obtained from the patient undergoing SIT may be a whole blood sample, or serum, or plasma.

In one embodiment, the binding of allergen-specific IgG from the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample, to the allergen, or the amount of allergen-specific IgE displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG in the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample is determined by an in vitro method selected from the group consisting of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a radioimmunoassay (RIA), an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), a luminescence immunoassay (LIA), an immunoblot, FACs analysis, an IgE-facilitated allergen binding (FAB) assay, and an assay using an engineered cell line expressing FcεR1.

In one embodiment, the diagnostic test may be performed in vivo in an allergen-specific animal model, wherein the binding of allergen-specific IgG from the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample, to the allergen, or the amount of allergen-specific IgE displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG in the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample is determined.

In one embodiment, the in vivo diagnostic test is performed in an animal model of passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA).

In a related aspect the invention provides a diagnostic test for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, the test comprising:

-   -   (a) a tissue sample, or extract thereof, a biological fluid, or         a blood sample from a patient who is undergoing, or has         completed allergen-specific immunotherapy;     -   (b) an allergen sample that corresponds to the allergen for         which the patient is undergoing SIT;     -   (c) an allergen-specific IgE;     -   (d) a receptacle for mixing the reagents of step (a) through         step (c);     -   (e) reagents for measuring either the amount of         allergen-specific IgG in the patient's tissue sample, or extract         thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample bound to the         allergen, or for measuring the amount of allergen-specific IgE         displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the         allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient tissue sample, or         extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample after         mixing a sample from (a) with the reagents of (b) and (c); and     -   (f) directions for measuring the amount of allergen-specific IgG         bound to the allergen, or for measuring the amount of         allergen-specific IgE displaced or prevented from binding to         allergen by the allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient         tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood         sample,

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample of (a) bound to the allergen is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, or

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgE bound to the allergen and subsequently displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample of (a) is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient.

In a related aspect the invention provides a test kit for determining if a patient is responsive to allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT), the kit comprising:

(a) a first reagent containing the allergen for which allergen-specific immunotherapy is being administered;

(b) a second reagent containing allergen-specific IgE;

(c) third reagent containing an allergen-specific IgG as a known positive standard;

(d) reagents for measuring the amount of allergen-specific IgG or IgE;

(e) a receptacle for collecting a tissue sample, or extract thereof, a biological fluid, or a blood sample from a patient undergoing SIT, or who has completed SIT; and

(f) instructions for use of the kit.

In one embodiment, the first reagent in the test kit is provided on a solid phase support.

In one embodiment, the second reagent in the test kit is provided on a solid phase support.

In one embodiment the first reagent in the test kit may contain a detectable label.

In one embodiment the second reagent in the test kit may contain a detectable label.

In one embodiment, the second reagent in the test kit is an allergen-specific IgE containing a detectable label.

In one embodiment, IgE from a cat allergic patient is captured on a solid support and labeled allergen is mixed together with SIT IgG and the amount of allergen not bound by SIT IgG is detected after binding to the IgE on the solid support.

In one embodiment, the detectable label is selected from the group consisting of a fluorescence label, a radiolabel, an enzyme label, a luminescent label, an electrochemical, or a visual label.

In one embodiment, the diagnostic tests and test kits may be useful for measuring a response in a patient undergoing SIT for an allergen selected from the group consisting of an animal product, a food allergen, plant pollen, mold spores, house dust mites, cockroaches, perfume, detergents, household cleaners, latex, a drug product, or insect venom.

In one embodiment, the animal product is selected from the group consisting of animal fur, animal dander, wool, and mite excretions.

In one embodiment, the animal product contains the allergen Fel d1.

In one embodiment, the animal product contains the allergen can f1, can f2, can f3, can f4, can f5 or can f6.

In one embodiment, the food allergen is selected from the group consisting of eggs, meat, fruit, legumes, milk or other dairy products, seafood, sesame, soy, wheat, oat, barley, celery and celeriac, corn or maize and tree nuts.

In one embodiment, the legumes are selected from the group consisting of peanuts, beans, peas and soybeans.

In one embodiment, the tree nuts are selected from the group consisting of pecans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, pine nuts and pistachio nuts.

In one embodiment, the plant pollen is selected from the group consisting of grass pollen, weed pollen and tree pollen.

In one embodiment, the tree pollen is selected from the group consisting of birch pollen, cedar pollen, oak pollen, alder pollen, hornbeam pollen, aesculus pollen, willow pollen, poplar pollen, plantanus pollen, tilia pollen, olea pollen, Ashe juniper pollen, and Alstonia scholaris pollen.

In one embodiment, the birch pollen contains the allergen Betv 1.

In one embodiment, the cedar pollen contains the allergen Cryj1 or Cryj2.

In one embodiment, the grass pollen is ryegrass or timothy-grass.

In one embodiment, the weed pollen is selected from the group consisting of ragweed, plantago, nettle, Artemisia vulgaris, Chenopodium album and sorrel.

In one embodiment, the insect venom is produced by bees, wasps or fire ants.

In one embodiment, the allergen-specific IgE used in the diagnostic test may be selected from the group consisting of an allergen-specific IgE obtained from the patient undergoing SIT, an allergen-specific IgE obtained from another allergen-injected mammal, and a recombinant IgE specific for the allergen.

In one embodiment, the steps of any of the diagnostic tests described above may further include injecting a sample of the patient's tissue sample or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample into an allergen-specific animal model to assess the protective efficacy of the allergen-specific IgG from the patient, wherein protection of the animal following challenge with the allergen is indicative of the safety, efficacy or outcome of SIT in the patient.

In one embodiment, the animal model is a mouse model of Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis (PCA) and wherein the model comprises the following steps:

-   -   (a) injecting the animal with allergen-specific IgE, or         antiserum containing allergen-specific IgE, intradermally at one         skin site and injecting the animal with non-allergen-specific         IgE or antiserum containing non-allergen-specific IgE         intradermally at a second different skin site;     -   (b) injecting the animal systemically with the allergen for         which the patient is undergoing, or has undergone SIT therapy,         along with a dye; and     -   (c) assessing the extent of dye extravasation at the site of         allergen injection;

wherein the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is directly related to the amount of mast cell activation in the animal and wherein a decrease in the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is indicative of safety, efficacy, or a positive outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy in the patient.

A second aspect of the invention provides a method for assessing the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy, the method comprising assessing the level of allergen-specific IgG in a patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample using any of the diagnostic tests or test kits noted herein, followed by confirmation of the in vitro results by measuring the protective efficacy of the allergen-specific IgG from the patient in an allergen-specific animal model, wherein elevated levels of allergen-specific IgG from the patient's serum and protection of the animal following challenge with the allergen is indicative of safety, efficacy, or a positive outcome of SIT.

In a related aspect, the invention provides a direct in vivo method for assessing the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, the method comprising injecting a sample containing allergen-specific IgG from the patient into an allergen-specific animal model to determine the protective efficacy of the allergen-specific IgG from the patient, without the need to assess the patient's tissue sample, or biological fluid sample or blood sample in an in vitro assay prior to the in vivo animal model, wherein protection of the animal following challenge with the allergen is indicative of safety, efficacy, or a positive outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy in the patient.

Any allergy animal model known to those skilled in the art to assess the safety, efficacy or outcome of SIT may be used, although in one embodiment, the animal model that is used herein to assess safety, efficacy, or the outcome of SIT is a mouse model of Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis (PCA) and wherein the model comprises the following steps:

-   -   (a) injecting the animal with allergen-specific IgE, or         antiserum containing allergen-specific IgE, intradermally at one         skin site and injecting the animal with non-allergen-specific         IgE or antiserum containing non-allergen-specific IgE         intradermally at a second different skin site;     -   (b) injecting the animal systemically with the allergen for         which the patient is undergoing, or has undergone SIT therapy,         along with a dye; and     -   (c) assessing the extent of dye extravasation at the site of         allergen injection;

wherein the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is directly related to the amount of mast cell activation in the animal and wherein a decrease in the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is indicative of safety, efficacy, or a positive outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy in the patient.

In one embodiment, the methods for assessing safety, efficacy, or outcome of SIT may be used to assess patients receiving such therapy for an allergen selected from the group consisting of an animal product, a food allergen, plant pollen, mold spores, house dust mites, cockroaches, perfume, detergents, household cleaners, latex, a drug product, or insect venom.

In one embodiment, the animal product is selected from the group consisting of animal fur, animal dander, wool, and mite excretions.

In one embodiment, the animal product contains the allergen Fel d1.

In one embodiment, the animal product contains the allergen can f1, can f2, can f3, can f4, can f5 or can f6.

In one embodiment, the food allergen is selected from the group consisting of eggs, meat, fruit, legumes, milk or other dairy products, seafood, sesame, soy, wheat, oat, barley, celery and celeriac, corn or maize and tree nuts.

In one embodiment, the legumes are selected from the group consisting of peanuts, beans, peas and soybeans.

In one embodiment, the tree nuts are selected from the group consisting of pecans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, pine nuts and pistachio nuts.

In one embodiment, the plant pollen is selected from the group consisting of grass pollen, weed pollen and tree pollen.

In one embodiment, the tree pollen is selected from the group consisting of birch pollen, cedar pollen, oak pollen, alder pollen, hornbeam pollen, aesculus pollen, willow pollen, poplar pollen, plantanus pollen, tilia pollen, olea pollen, Ashe juniper pollen, and Alstonia scholaris pollen.

In one embodiment, the birch pollen contains the allergen Betv 1.

In one embodiment, the cedar pollen contains the allergen Cryj1 or Cryj2.

In one embodiment, the grass pollen is ryegrass or timothy-grass.

In one embodiment, the weed pollen is selected from the group consisting of ragweed, plantago, nettle, Artemisia vulgaris, Chenopodium album and sorrel.

In one embodiment, the insect venom is produced by bees, wasps or fire ants.

In a related aspect, the invention provides for determining if allergen-specific immunotherapy induces allergen-specific immunoglobulins that are protective in a mammal upon challenge of the mammal with the allergen, the method comprising measuring the level of allergen-specific IgG in a patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample using any of the diagnostic tests or test kits described herein, and assessing the protective efficacy of the allergen-specific IgG from the patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample in an allergen-specific animal model, such as the PCA model described herein and in Example 1, wherein a decrease in mast cell degranulation as evidenced in this model indicates that the allergen-specific immunoglobulins generated during SIT are protective against subsequent challenge with the allergen and that the allergen-specific immunotherapy was effective.

A third aspect of the invention provides a method of screening a patient to determine if the patient has responded to allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT), or will be adequately protected by SIT, or for determining when a patient can initiate or terminate maintenance therapy, the method comprising measuring the level of allergen-specific IgG in a patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample using any of the diagnostic tests or test kits described herein, and assessing the protective efficacy of the allergen-specific IgG from the patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample in an allergen-specific animal model, wherein elevated levels of allergen-specific IgG from the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample and protection of the animal following challenge with the allergen is indicative that the patient has responded to allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT), or will be adequately protected by SIT, or that the patient can initiate or terminate maintenance therapy.

A fourth aspect of the invention provides a method of determining if a patient suffering from an allergy is responsive to therapy with one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen, the method comprising:

-   -   a) collecting a sample of tissue or an extract thereof, or a         biological fluid, or a blood sample from a patient suffering         from an allergy;     -   b) extracting allergen specific IgE from any one or more of the         patient samples of (a);     -   c) mixing the IgE from the patient sample with the allergen and         with one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof         specific for the allergen; and     -   d) determining if the addition of the antibodies or antigen         binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen blocks the         binding of the allergen specific IgE from step b) to the         allergen,

wherein the ability of the one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen to block the binding of allergen specific IgE from step b) to the allergen is indicative that the patient suffering from an allergy is responsive to therapy with the one or more antibodies specific for the allergy.

In one embodiment, the allergen is a cat allergen.

In one embodiment, the cat allergen is Fel d1.

In one embodiment, the one or more antibodies specific for the allergen are human monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to Fel d1, wherein the one or more antibodies comprise the heavy chain complementary determining regions (HCDRs) of a heavy chain variable region (HCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 18 and the light chain complementarity determining regions (LCDRs) of a light chain variable region (LCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 26.

In one embodiment, the one or more human monoclonal antibodies or antigen binding fragments that bind specifically to Fel d1 comprise three HCDRs (HCDR1, HCDR2 and HCDR3) and three LCDRs (LCDR1, LCDR2 and LDR3), wherein the HCDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or 20; the HCDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6 or 22; the HCDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or 24; the LCDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12 or 28; the LCDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14 or 30; and the LCDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 16 or 32.

In one embodiment, the one or more human monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to Fel d1 comprises a HCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 18 and a LCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 26.

In one embodiment, the one or more human monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to Fel d1 comprise the HCVR/LCVR amino acid sequence pairs of SEQ ID NOs: 2/10 or SEQ ID NOs:18/26.

In one embodiment, a composition comprising two anti-Fel d1 monoclonal antibodies may be used for treating cat allergic patients, wherein the two Fel d1 human monoclonal antibodies have HCVR/LCVR amino acid sequence pairs of SEQ ID NOs: 2/10 and SEQ ID NOs:18/26. The diagnostic tests and methods described herein may be used to determine if a patient suffering from a cat allergy is responsive to therapy with these antibodies, or with other antibodies that have the same or a similar binding specificity.

In one embodiment, the results obtained from the in vitro study noted above, may be further confirmed in an animal allergy model, such as the Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis (PCA) model.

This model comprises the following steps:

-   -   (a) injecting the animal with allergen-specific IgE, or         antiserum containing allergen-specific IgE, intradermally at one         skin site and injecting the animal with non-allergen-specific         IgE or antiserum containing non-allergen-specific IgE         intradermally at a second different skin site;     -   (b) injecting the animal systemically with the allergen for         which the patient is undergoing, or has undergone SIT therapy,         along with a dye; and     -   (c) assessing the extent of dye extravasation at the site of         allergen injection;

wherein the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is directly related to the amount of mast cell activation in the animal and wherein a decrease in the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is indicative of safety, efficacy, or a positive outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy in the patient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1. Panel (A) depicts a schematic of a peanut specific immunotherapy mouse model that was used to generate peanut specific antisera containing peanut specific IgG. Panel B shows the extent of anaphylaxis in two groups of experimental mice as a means to determine the efficacy of the antigen specific immunotherapy. This is assessed in terms of a core temperature decrease. Mice receiving no SIT are designated black dashes with squares; mice not undergoing SIT are designated with grey triangles.

FIG. 2. Shows the results of a blocking assay for Fel d 1 binding to allergic IgE (donor 1) by anti-Fel d 1 IgG elicited by SIT.

FIG. 3. Shows the results of a blocking assay for Fel d 1 binding to allergic IgE (donor 2) by anti-Fel d 1 IgG elicited by SIT.

FIG. 4. Shows the results of a blocking assay for Fel d 1 binding to allergic IgE (mouse sera immunized with Fel d 1) by anti-Fel d 1 IgG elicited by SIT.

FIG. 5. Shows the results of a blocking assay for Fel d 1 binding to human allergic IgE by anti-Fel d 1 mouse sera elicited by immunization with Fel d 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular methods and experimental conditions described, as such methods and conditions may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. As used herein, the term “about,” when used in reference to a particular recited numerical value, means that the value may vary from the recited value by no more than 1%. For example, as used herein, the expression “about 100” includes 99 and 101 and all values in between (e.g., 99.1, 99.2, 99.3, 99.4, etc.).

Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described. All patents, applications and non-patent publications mentioned in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Other embodiments will become apparent from a review of the ensuing detailed description.

Definitions

As used herein, the expressions “allergen-specific immunotherapy,” “specific immunotherapy,” “SIT,” “SIT regimen,” and the like, refer to the repeated administration of an allergen to a subject over time as means for treating or preventing allergies and allergic reactions, or to reduce or eliminate allergic responses. Subcutaneous immunotherapy uses a protocol of weekly injections with gradually increasing dosages of allergen extract until amaintenance dose is achieved. Subsequently the maintenance dose administration is reduced to biweekly and then to monthly intervals for a period of 3 to 5 years (See J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. (2007), 120:S25-85). More recent studies have been conducted to administer the allergen sublingually.

To measure the “safety”, “efficacy” or “outcome” of SIT, various clinical measurements have historically been utilized. The “safety” of SIT generally takes into account any untoward allergic reaction to the allergen being administered. The allergic reaction may be mild or may be severe following allergen administration. The “efficacy” or “outcome” of SIT takes into account several clinical parameters, including a measurement of symptoms (with emphasis on alleviating the symptoms associated with the particular allergen exposure) and the need for concomitant medications. Both physician rated and patient self rated scores have been implemented in clinical trials. The use of questionnaires for evaluating the quality of life are generally used as secondary outcome parameters. Skin prick tests are also utilized as a means of assessing efficacy/outcome of therapy.

The term “allergen,” as used herein, includes any substance, chemical, particle or composition which is capable of stimulating an allergic response in a susceptible individual. Allergens may be contained within or derived from a food item such as, e.g., dairy products (e.g., cow's milk), egg, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts. Alternatively, an allergen may be contained within or derived from a non-food item such as, e.g., dust (e.g., containing dust mite), pollen, insect venom (e.g., venom of bees, wasps, mosquitos, etc.), mold, animal dander, latex, medication, drugs, ragweed, grass and birch.

As used herein, the phrases “allergic response,” “allergic reaction,” “allergic symptom,” and the like, include one or more signs or symptoms selected from the group consisting of urticaria (e.g., hives), angioedema, rhinitis, asthma, vomiting, sneezing, runny nose, sinus inflammation, watery eyes, wheezing, bronchospasm, reduced peak expiratory flow (PEF), gastrointestinal distress, flushing, swollen lips, swollen tongue, reduced blood pressure, anaphylaxis, and organ dysfunction/failure. An “allergic response,” “allergic reaction,” “allergic symptom,” etc., also includes immunological responses and reactions such as, e.g., increased IgE production and/or increased allergen-specific immunoglobulin production.

The term “up-dosing” means a period of treatment during which the doses of allergen administered are gradually increased to reach a full dose level, which is used in the following maintenance phase, and the up-dosing phase ends when the full dose level is reached, ie. immediately subsequent to the administration of the first full dose.

“Maintenance phase” or “maintenance therapy” means a period of treatment in continuation of the up-dosing phase and during which a full dose of allergen is administered, the maintenance phase starting immediately subsequent to the administration of the first full dose.

“Mast cell”, as used herein refers to one or more mast cells, basophils, and other cells with IgE receptors.

“Sensitized animal” refers to an animal having adapted an immunological state so that, when it encounters an antigen, it has a response similar to that observed in allergic humans. This may include a reaction to an allergen resulting in any one or more of the following symptoms and/or reactions: cutaneous reactions, wheezing and labored respiration, a higher percentage of degranulated mast cells, increased histamine levels upon challenge with allergen, an increase in the level of antigen specific IgG in the animal after sensitization, an increase in allergen specific IgE levels, or an anaphylactic reaction. “Desensitize” is defined herein as to decrease the allergic-reactivity of an allergen-sensitive individual to exposure to the allergen, (e.g., to a level less than that which the allergen-sensitive individual would otherwise experience).

The “Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis” or “PCA” animal model is a model used to assess in vivo mast cell degranulation (See Bradley, et al. (1991), J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 88:661-74). The model relies on the passive transfer of antisera containing allergen-specific polyclonal IgE, which binds to FcεR1 on mast cells near the site of administration. The animals are effectively “sensitized” locally to the specific antigen. When antigen is subsequently injected systemically as an allergen challenge along with Evan's blue dye, antigen-induced mast cell degranulation results in rapid capillary dilation and increased vascular permeability that can be visualized and quantitated by measuring dye leakage into the reaction site.

As used herein, the terms “treat”, “treating”, or the like, mean to alleviate symptoms, eliminate the causation of symptoms either on a temporary or permanent basis, or to prevent or slow the appearance of symptoms of an allergic reaction.

As used herein, the term “a subject in need thereof” means any human or non-human animal who: (a) is prone to allergic reactions or responses when exposed to one or more allergens; (b) has previously exhibited an allergic response or reaction to one or more allergens; (c) has a known history of allergies; and/or (d) exhibits a sign or symptom of an allergic response or anaphylaxis.

The term “patient sample” may include any tissue sample, including both solid tissue (or extracts thereof), biological fluids, or blood samples. The blood sample may be whole blood, plasma or serum. The tissue sample or extract thereof, or biological fluid may be any tissue sample or bodily fluid that contains immunoglobulin expressing cells.

The term “Fel d1”, “Fel d 1”, or “FELD1”, as used herein, refers to at least one Fel d1 protein, either in natural/native form, or recombinantly produced. The Fel d1 protein comprises, or alternatively consists of, chain 1 (also referred to as chain A) of Fel d1 (SEQ ID NO: 33) and chain 2 (also referred to as chain B) of Fel d1 (SEQ ID NO: 34). The natural Fel d1 protein is an approximately 18 kDa heterodimeric glycoprotein composed of two chains derived from two independent genes (See Duffort, O. A. et al., (1991), Mol. Immunol. 28:301-309; Kristensen, A. K. et al., (1997), Biol. Chem. 378:899-908; Kaiser L. et al. (2003), J. Biol. Chem. 278(39):37730-37735). The amino acid sequence of chain 1 of Fel d1 is also provided in GenBank as accession number P30438, or as accession number NP_001041618.1, which also include the signal peptide which is removed in the mature protein. The amino acid sequence of chain 2 of Fel d1 is also provided in GenBank as accession number P30440, or as accession number NP_001041619.1, which include the signal peptide which is removed in the mature protein. A recombinant form of Fel d1 produced with a C-terminal myc-myc-hexahistidine tag (Fel d1mmH) is shown as SEQ ID NO: 52, wherein the Fel d1 B chain and Fel d1 A chain are linked as a continuous, in-line fusion with Fel d1 at the N terminus and the myc-myc-his tag at the C terminus. Another recombinant form of Fel d1 is produced with a C-terminal mouse Fc tag (Fel d1mFc) and is shown as SEQ ID NO: 53. (See Fel d1 B chain at accession number NP_001041619.1, amino acids 18-109 and Fel d1 A chain at accession number NP_001041618.1, amino acids 19-88 with a D27G mutation).

A human FcεR1α was produced with a terminal mouse Fc tag and this is shown as SEQ ID NO: 51. (See also accession number NP_001992 (V26-E205) with the C terminal mouse IgG2a Fc tag (98-330 of P01863).

The term “antibody”, as used herein, means any antigen-binding molecule or molecular complex comprising at least one complementarity determining region (CDR) that specifically binds to or interacts with a particular antigen (e.g., Fel d1). The term “antibody”, as used herein, is intended to refer to immunoglobulin molecules comprised of four polypeptide chains, two heavy (H) chains and two light (L) chains inter-connected by disulfide bonds (i.e., “full antibody molecules”), as well as multimers thereof (e.g. IgM) or antigen-binding fragments thereof. Each heavy chain is comprised of a heavy chain variable region (“HCVR” or “V_(H)”) and a heavy chain constant region (comprised of domains C_(H)1, C_(H)2 and C_(H)3). Each light chain is comprised of a light chain variable region (“LCVR or “V_(L)”) and a light chain constant region (C_(L)). The V_(H) and V_(L) regions can be further subdivided into regions of hypervariability, termed complementarity determining regions (CDR), interspersed with regions that are more conserved, termed framework regions (FR). Each V_(H) and V_(L) is composed of three CDRs and four FRs, arranged from amino-terminus to carboxy-terminus in the following order: FR1, CDR1, FR2, CDR2, FR3, CDR3, FR4. In certain embodiments of the invention, the FRs of the antibody (or antigen binding fragment thereof) may be identical to the human germline sequences, or may be naturally or artificially modified. An amino acid consensus sequence may be defined based on a side-by-side analysis of two or more CDRs.

Substitution of one or more CDR residues or omission of one or more CDRs is also possible. Antibodies have been described in the scientific literature in which one or two CDRs can be dispensed with for binding. Padlan et al. (1995 FASEB J. 9:133-139) analyzed the contact regions between antibodies and their antigens, based on published crystal structures, and concluded that only about one fifth to one third of CDR residues actually contact the antigen. Padlan also found many antibodies in which one or two CDRs had no amino acids in contact with an antigen (see also, Vajdos et al. (2002), J Mol Biol 320:415-428).

CDR residues not contacting antigen can be identified based on previous studies (for example residues H60-H65 in CDRH2 are often not required), from regions of Kabat CDRs lying outside Chothia CDRs, by molecular modeling and/or empirically. If a CDR or residue(s) thereof is omitted, it is usually substituted with an amino acid occupying the corresponding position in another human antibody sequence or a consensus of such sequences. Positions for substitution within CDRs and amino acids to substitute can also be selected empirically. Empirical substitutions can be conservative or non-conservative substitutions.

The fully human (recombinant, not naturally occurring) monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to Fel d1, as disclosed herein, may comprise one or more amino acid substitutions, insertions and/or deletions in the framework and/or CDR regions of the heavy and light chain variable domains as compared to the corresponding germline sequences. Such mutations can be readily ascertained by comparing the amino acid sequences disclosed herein to germline sequences available from, for example, public antibody sequence databases. The present invention includes antibodies, and antigen-binding fragments thereof, which are derived from any of the amino acid sequences disclosed herein, wherein one or more amino acids within one or more framework and/or CDR regions are mutated to the corresponding residue(s) of the germline sequence from which the antibody was derived, or to the corresponding residue(s) of another human germline sequence, or to a conservative amino acid substitution of the corresponding germline residue(s) (such sequence changes are referred to herein collectively as “germline mutations”). A person of ordinary skill in the art, starting with the heavy and light chain variable region sequences disclosed herein, can easily produce numerous antibodies and antigen-binding fragments which comprise one or more individual germline mutations or combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, all of the framework and/or CDR residues within the V_(H) and/or V_(L) domains are mutated back to the residues found in the original germline sequence from which the antibody was derived. In other embodiments, only certain residues are mutated back to the original germline sequence, e.g., only the mutated residues found within the first 8 amino acids of FR1 or within the last 8 amino acids of FR4, or only the mutated residues found within CDR1, CDR2 or CDR3. In other embodiments, one or more of the framework and/or CDR residue(s) are mutated to the corresponding residue(s) of a different germline sequence (i.e., a germline sequence that is different from the germline sequence from which the antibody was originally derived). Furthermore, the antibodies of the present invention may contain any combination of two or more germline mutations within the framework and/or CDR regions, e.g., wherein certain individual residues are mutated to the corresponding residue of a particular germline sequence while certain other residues that differ from the original germline sequence are maintained or are mutated to the corresponding residue of a different germline sequence. Once obtained, antibodies and antigen-binding fragments that contain one or more germline mutations can be easily tested for one or more desired property such as, improved binding specificity, increased binding affinity, improved or enhanced antagonistic or agonistic biological properties (as the case may be), reduced immunogenicity, etc. Antibodies and antigen-binding fragments obtained in this general manner are encompassed within the present invention.

The present invention also includes fully human monoclonal antibodies comprising variants of any of the HCVR, LCVR, and/or CDR amino acid sequences disclosed herein having one or more conservative substitutions. For example, the present invention includes antibodies having HCVR, LCVR, and/or CDR amino acid sequences with, e.g., 10 or fewer, 8 or fewer, 6 or fewer, 4 or fewer, etc. conservative amino acid substitutions relative to any of the HCVR, LCVR, and/or CDR amino acid sequences disclosed herein.

The term “human antibody”, as used herein, may include antibodies having variable and constant regions derived from human germline immunoglobulin sequences. The human mAbs of the invention may include amino acid residues not encoded by human germline immunoglobulin sequences (e.g., mutations introduced by random or site-specific mutagenesis in vitro or by somatic mutation in vivo), for example in the CDRs and in particular CDR3. However, the term “human antibody”, as used herein, is not intended to include mAbs in which CDR sequences derived from the germline of another mammalian species (e.g., mouse), have been grafted onto human FR sequences.

The antibodies used in the methods of the present invention may be recombinant, non-naturally occurring human antibodies. The term “recombinant human antibody,” as used herein, is intended to include all human antibodies that are prepared, expressed, created or isolated by recombinant means, such as antibodies expressed using a recombinant expression vector transfected into a host cell (described further below), antibodies isolated from a recombinant, combinatorial human antibody library (described further below), antibodies isolated from an animal (e.g., a mouse) that is transgenic for human immunoglobulin genes (see e.g., Taylor et al. (1992) Nucl. Acids Res. 20:6287-6295) or antibodies prepared, expressed, created or isolated by any other means that involves splicing of human immunoglobulin gene sequences to other DNA sequences. Such recombinant human antibodies have variable and constant regions derived from human germline immunoglobulin sequences. In certain embodiments, however, such recombinant human antibodies are subjected to in vitro mutagenesis (or, when an animal transgenic for human Ig sequences is used, in vivo somatic mutagenesis) and thus the amino acid sequences of the V_(H) and V_(L) regions of the recombinant antibodies are sequences that, while derived from and related to human germline V_(H) and V_(L) sequences, may not naturally exist within the human antibody germline repertoire in vivo.

Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy (SIT)

As used herein, the expressions “allergen-specific immunotherapy,” “specific immunotherapy,” “SIT,” “SIT regimen,” and the like, refer to the repeated administration of an allergen to a subject over time as means for treating or preventing allergies and allergic reactions, or to reduce or eliminate allergic responses. In a typical SIT regimen, small amounts of allergen are initially administered to an allergic subject, followed by administration of increased amounts of allergen. In certain instances, the SIT regimen comprises at least two consecutive phases: (1) an up-dosing phase, and (2) a maintenance phase. In the up-dosing phase, increasing doses of allergen are administered until an effective and safe dose is achieved. The dose that is established at the end of the up-dosing phase is then administered to the subject throughout the course of the maintenance phase. The duration of the up-dosing phase can be several weeks or several months. In certain embodiments, however, the up-dosing phase is of substantially shorter duration (e.g., less than one week, less than 6 days, less than 5 days, less than 4 days, less than 3 days, or less than 2 days). SIT regimens comprising an up-dosing phase of less than 5 days are sometimes referred to as “Rush” immunotherapy or “Rush SIT.” The maintenance phase of an SIT regimen can last several weeks, several months, several years, or indefinitely.

Methods for Determining the Safety, Efficacy, or Outcome Following Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy (SIT)

Historically, variability in safety and clinical efficacy has limited the widespread application of SIT. However, more recent studies have attempted to better characterize the active ingredients by measurement of protein content, determination of biological activity, estimation of the predominant allergen that makes up the composition and the production of pure allergen molecules with the aid of recombinant DNA technology. Safety concerns using the subcutaneous route of allergen injection resulted in more recent studies to assess the sublingual route of allergen delivery and to characterize the immunological response to the allergen delivered via this route. While it appears that sublingual SIT is clearly efficacious and is associated with a favorable safety profile, efficacy appears to be lower than that of subcutaneous SIT. The better safety profile may be attributed to the presence of fewer mast cells in the oral mucosa, or to the delivery of smaller immunologically active doses of allergen, despite the larger dose that is administered. However, if larger doses are delivered via the sublingual route, this may alter the safety profile such that it is similar to SIT using the subcutaneous route of allergen injection. So the improvement in clinical efficacy may also result in a reduction in the safety profile. Because of the safety concerns, as well as non-compliance associate with SIT, it would be beneficial to be able to assess if the patient is responding to therapy early in the course of SIT, and if so, whether the patient may initiate or terminate maintenance therapy sooner rather than later.

As a general rule, in order to measure the “safety”, “efficacy” or “outcome” of SIT, various clinical assessments have historically been utilized. The “safety” of SIT generally takes into account any untoward allergic reaction to the allergen being administered. The allergic reaction may be mild after allergen administration, or it may be severe following allergen administration. To measure the “efficacy” or “outcome” of SIT, several clinical parameters are generally taken into account, including a measurement of symptoms (with an emphasis on alleviating the symptoms associated with the particular allergen exposure after immunotherapy is completed) and the need for concomitant medications. In addition, both physician rated and patient self rated scores have been implemented in clinical trials. The use of questionnaires for evaluating the quality of life are generally used as secondary outcome parameters. Skin prick tests are also utilized as a means of assessing efficacy/outcome of therapy. None of the methods employed take into account a quantitative means of assessing whether the patient is actually responding to the particular therapy, or if they have responded, whether the protection attributed to SIT is sufficient or adequate to confer protection against future allergen exposure.

One aspect of the present invention provides methods for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy. The methods comprise obtaining a tissue sample, or extract thereof, or a biological fluid, or a blood sample from a patient who is undergoing SIT and using various in vitro and in vivo assays for assessing whether the patient is responding, or has responded to such therapy.

One embodiment of the invention provides a diagnostic test for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, the test comprising:

-   -   (a) obtaining a tissue sample, or an extract thereof, a         biological fluid, or a blood sample from a patient undergoing         allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT);     -   (b) quantitating total IgG, allergen-specific IgG, and         allergen-specific IgE from any one or more of the samples of         (a);     -   (c) reacting the allergen-specific IgG from step (b) with the         allergen for which the patient is undergoing SIT, plus         allergen-specific IgE; and     -   (d) measuring either         -   (i) the amount of allergen-specific IgG in the tissue             sample, or an extract thereof, in the biological fluid, or             in the blood sample obtained from the patient that is bound             to the allergen, or         -   (ii) the amount of allergen-specific IgE displaced or             prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific             IgG contained in the tissue sample, or extract thereof, or             the biological fluid, or the blood sample from the patient,

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgG in the tissue sample, or extract thereof, or the biological fluid, or the blood sample from the patient bound to the allergen is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, or

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgE bound to the allergen and subsequently displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG contained in the tissue sample, or extract thereof, or the biological fluid, or the blood sample from the patient is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient.

The tissue sample obtained for the diagnostic test may be a solid tissue sample, or an extract thereof, or it may be a biological/bodily fluid. The sample may also be a blood sample. Whole blood may be used, or serum or plasma may be used in the assay. In one embodiment, the tissue sample contains immunoglobulin containing cells.

The binding of allergen-specific IgG from the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample, to the allergen, or the amount of allergen-specific IgE displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG in the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample may be determined by an in vitro method selected from the group consisting of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a radioimmunoassay (RIA), an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), a luminescence immunoassay (LIA), an immunoblot., FACs analysis, an IgE-facilitated allergen binding (FAB) assay (See Shamji, et al. (2006), J. Immunol. Methods, 317(1-2):71-79), and an assay using an engineered cell line expressing FcεR1.

Alternatively, the binding of allergen-specific IgG from the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample, to the allergen, or the amount of allergen-specific IgE displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG in the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample is determined in vivo using an allergen-specific animal model.

In one embodiment, the allergen-specific animal model is a mouse model of Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis (PCA), wherein the model comprises the following steps:

-   -   (a) injecting the animal with allergen-specific IgE, or         antiserum containing allergen-specific IgE, intradermally at one         skin site and injecting the animal with non-allergen-specific         IgE or antiserum containing non-allergen-specific IgE         intradermally at a second different skin site;     -   (b) injecting the animal systemically with the allergen for         which the patient is undergoing, or has undergone SIT therapy,         along with a dye; and     -   (c) assessing the extent of dye extravasation at the site of         allergen injection;

wherein the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is directly related to the amount of mast cell activation in the animal and wherein a decrease in the amount of dye extravasated into the tissue is indicative of safety, efficacy, or a positive outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy in the patient.

In certain embodiments, the patient sample may be analyzed first in vitro using the methods and diagnostic tests described above, followed by a confirmatory analysis in the in vivo animal model, such as the PCA model described herein.

Alternatively, each assay (in vitro and in vivo) may be used as a stand-alone analytical tool for quantitating the patient response to SIT.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a diagnostic test for determining the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, the test comprising:

-   -   (a) a tissue sample, or extract thereof, a biological fluid, or         a blood sample from a patient who is undergoing, or has         completed allergen-specific immunotherapy;     -   (b) an allergen sample that corresponds to the allergen for         which the patient is undergoing SIT;     -   (c) an allergen-specific IgE;     -   (d) a receptacle for mixing the reagents of step (a) through         step (c);     -   (e) reagents for measuring either the amount of         allergen-specific IgG in the patient's tissue sample, or extract         thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample bound to the         allergen, or for measuring the amount of allergen-specific IgE         displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the         allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient tissue sample, or         extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample after         mixing a sample from (a) with the reagents of (b) and (c); and     -   (f) directions for measuring the amount of allergen-specific IgG         bound to the allergen, or for measuring the amount of         allergen-specific IgE displaced or prevented from binding to         allergen by the allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient         tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood         sample,

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample of (a) bound to the allergen is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient, or

wherein the amount of allergen-specific IgE bound to the allergen and subsequently displaced or prevented from binding to allergen by the allergen-specific IgG contained in the patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample of (a) is directly proportional to the safety, efficacy, or outcome of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in a patient.

In a related embodiment, the invention provides a test kit for determining if a patient is responsive to allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT), the kit comprising:

-   -   (a) a first reagent containing the allergen for which         allergen-specific immunotherapy is being administered;     -   (b) a second reagent containing allergen-specific IgE;     -   (c) a third reagent containing an allergen-specific IgG as a         known positive standard;     -   (d) reagents for measuring the amount of allergen-specific IgG         or IgE;     -   (e) a receptacle for collecting a tissue sample, or extract         thereof, a biological fluid, or a blood sample from a patient         undergoing SIT, or who has completed SIT; and     -   (f) instructions for use of the kit.

In one embodiment, the first reagent is provided on a solid phase support.

In one embodiment, the second reagent is provided on a solid support.

In one embodiment, the first reagent contains a detectable label.

In one embodiment, the second reagent contains a detectable label.

In one embodiment, the second reagent is an allergen-specific IgE containing a detectable label.

The detectable label may be selected from the group consisting of a fluorescence label, a radiolabel, an enzyme label, a luminescent label, an electrochemical, or a visual label.

The diagnostic tests described herein may be used to measure a response in a patient undergoing SIT for an allergen selected from the group consisting of an animal product, a food allergen, plant pollen, mold spores, house dust mites, cockroaches, perfume, detergents, household cleaners, latex, a drug product, or insect venom.

In one embodiment, the animal product is selected from the group consisting of animal fur, animal dander, wool, and mite excretions.

In one embodiment, the animal product contains the allergen Fel d1.

In one embodiment, the animal product contains the allergen can f1, can f2, can f3, can f4, can f5 or can f6.

In one embodiment, the food allergen is selected from the group consisting of eggs, meat, fruit, legumes, milk or other dairy products, seafood, sesame, soy, wheat, oat, barley, celery and celeriac, corn or maize and tree nuts.

In one embodiment, the legumes are selected from the group consisting of peanuts, beans, peas and soybeans.

In one embodiment, the tree nuts are selected from the group consisting of pecans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, pine nuts and pistachio nuts.

In one embodiment, the plant pollen is selected from the group consisting of grass pollen, weed pollen and tree pollen.

In one embodiment, the tree pollen is selected from the group consisting of birch pollen, cedar pollen, oak pollen, alder pollen, hornbeam pollen, aesculus pollen, willow pollen, poplar pollen, plantanus pollen, tilia pollen, olea pollen, Ashe juniper pollen, and Alstonia scholaris pollen.

In one embodiment, the birch pollen contains the allergen Betv 1.

In one embodiment, the cedar pollen contains the allergen Cryj1 or Cryj2

In one embodiment, the grass pollen is ryegrass or timothy-grass.

In one embodiment, the weed pollen is selected from the group consisting of ragweed, plantago, nettle, Artemisia vulgaris, Chenopodium album and sorrel.

In one embodiment, the insect venom is produced by bees, wasps or fire ants.

Accordingly, the methods for assessing the safety, efficacy or outcome of SIT may be done solely by an in vitro assay, as described herein using any of the diagnostic tests or kits described.

Alternatively, the methods for assessing the safety, efficacy or outcome of SIT may be done solely by an in vivo assay, such as the allergy model described herein (the PCA model), or any other animal allergy model known to those skilled in the art, which measures, for example, a decrease in any one or more allergy symptoms or allergic reactions, such as mast cell degranulation.

In one embodiment the in vitro assay and the in vivo allergy model (e.g., PCA model) may be run concurrently.

In one embodiment, the assessment of safety, efficacy, or outcome of SIT may be done as a two step process, the first measurement done by using one of the in vitro diagnostic tests described herein, and then confirmed using an in vivo allergy mode, e.g. the PCA model described in Example 1, whereby the patient's immunoglobulins after SIT are purified and injected directly into the animal model to see if they confer protection to the animal when the animal is challenged with the allergen.

In a related embodiment, the invention provides a method of screening a patient to determine if the patient has responded to allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT), or will be adequately protected by SIT, or for determining when a patient can initiate or terminate maintenance therapy, the method comprising measuring the level of allergen-specific IgG in a patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample using any of the diagnostic tests or test kits described above, and assessing the protective efficacy of the allergen-specific IgG from the patient tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample in an allergen-specific animal model, wherein elevated levels of allergen-specific IgG from the patient's tissue sample, or extract thereof, or biological fluid, or blood sample and protection of the animal following challenge with the allergen is indicative that the patient has responded to allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT), or will be adequately protected by SIT, or that the patient can initiate or terminate maintenance therapy.

Comparison of SIT with the Use of Therapeutic Antibodies Specific for the Allergen

While allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only method available which actually alters the disease state in allergy prone individuals, there are times when such therapy may not be adequate or appropriate, such as in patients who cannot build up an adequate immune response to the allergen due to health issues, such as patients who are immunocompromised due to disease, illness, or immunosuppressive drug therapies. In those situations, it may be beneficial to utilize a therapeutic antibody approach to treat the allergy.

The approach of passively targeting allergens with allergen-specific monoclonal antibodies to block mast cell degranulation may prove to be an efficacious alternative to SIT. The study described herein utilized two such fully human monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to the cat allergen, Fel d1. These two human monoclonal antibodies specific for Fel d1 were tested in the PCA model along with Fel d1 specific IgG purified from patients who had undergone SIT for cat allergy (See Example 1).

While the Fel d1 IgG from SIT patients was efficacious in this model, the ranges of inhibition of mast cell degranulation varied depending on the length of time SIT was administered. On the other hand, Fel d1 specific human monoclonal antibodies significantly inhibited mast cell degranulation in this model. More specifically, the Fel d1 monoclonal antibody cocktail was about 5-fold more potent than the SIT patient derived Fel d1 specific IgG based on total antibody mass dosage.

The fact that both the human monoclonal anti-Fel d1 antibodies and the Fel d1 specific immunoglobulin isolated from SIT patients demonstrated protection in the PCA model indicates that allergen-specific immunoglobulins play a role in altering a patient's response to allergen challenge. However, as noted previously, while both methods confer protection, the immunoglobulin derived from the SIT patients took years to develop in the patient in need of such therapy, while the human monoclonal antibodies can be administered immediately and thus may prove to have an added benefit over SIT, since they can be used on an emergency basis.

Furthermore, the testing of either immunoglobulins from SIT patients or the human monoclonals specific for the allergen, e.g. Fel d1, may be tested in any one of the in vitro diagnostic tests or assays described herein, or may be tested directly in the PCA model.

Thus, the present invention provides a method of determining if a patient suffering from an allergy is responsive to therapy with one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen, the method comprising:

-   -   a) collecting a sample of tissue or an extract thereof, or a         biological fluid, or a blood sample from a patient suffering         from an allergy;     -   b) extracting allergen specific IgE from any one or more of the         patient samples of (a);     -   c) mixing the IgE from the patient sample with the allergen and         with one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof         specific for the allergen; and     -   d) determining if the addition of the antibodies or antigen         binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen blocks the         binding of the allergen specific IgE from step b) to the         allergen,

wherein the ability of the one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen to block the binding of allergen specific IgE from step b) to the allergen is indicative that the patient suffering from an allergy is responsive to therapy with the one or more antibodies specific for the allergen.

Therapeutic Antibodies for use in Treating Allergies Preparation of Human Antibodies

Methods for generating human antibodies in transgenic mice are known in the art. Any such known methods can be used in the context of the present invention to make human antibodies that specifically bind to any antigen.

Using VELOCIMMUNE™ technology (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,541, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, VELOCIMMUNE®) or any other known method for generating monoclonal antibodies, high affinity chimeric antibodies to an allergen are initially isolated having a human variable region and a mouse constant region. The VELOCIMMUNE® technology involves generation of a transgenic mouse having a genome comprising human heavy and light chain variable regions operably linked to endogenous mouse constant region loci such that the mouse produces an antibody comprising a human variable region and a mouse constant region in response to antigenic stimulation. The DNA encoding the variable regions of the heavy and light chains of the antibody are isolated and operably linked to DNA encoding the human heavy and light chain constant regions. The DNA is then expressed in a cell capable of expressing the fully human antibody.

Generally, a VELOCIMMUNE® mouse is challenged with the antigen of interest, and lymphatic cells (such as B-cells) are recovered from the mice that express antibodies. The lymphatic cells may be fused with a myeloma cell line to prepare immortal hybridoma cell lines, and such hybridoma cell lines are screened and selected to identify hybridoma cell lines that produce antibodies specific to the antigen of interest. DNA encoding the variable regions of the heavy chain and light chain may be isolated and linked to desirable isotypic constant regions of the heavy chain and light chain. Such an antibody protein may be produced in a cell, such as a CHO cell. Alternatively, DNA encoding the antigen-specific chimeric antibodies or the variable domains of the light and heavy chains may be isolated directly from antigen-specific lymphocytes.

Initially, high affinity chimeric antibodies are isolated having a human variable region and a mouse constant region. As in the experimental section below, the antibodies are characterized and selected for desirable characteristics, including affinity, selectivity, epitope, etc. The mouse constant regions are replaced with a desired human constant region to generate the fully human antibody of the invention, for example wild-type or modified IgG1 or IgG4. While the constant region selected may vary according to specific use, high affinity antigen-binding and target specificity characteristics reside in the variable region.

In general, the antibodies of the instant invention possess very high affinities, typically possessing K_(D) of from about 10⁻¹² through about 10⁻⁹ M, when measured by binding to antigen either immobilized on solid phase or in solution phase. The mouse constant regions are replaced with desired human constant regions to generate the fully human antibodies of the invention. While the constant region selected may vary according to specific use, high affinity antigen-binding and target specificity characteristics reside in the variable region.

According to certain embodiments, the antibodies used in the methods of the present invention to confer protection in the PCA model are human monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind Fel d1. The term “specifically binds,” or the like, means that an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof forms a complex with an antigen that is relatively stable under physiologic conditions. Methods for determining whether an antibody specifically binds to an antigen are well known in the art and include, for example, equilibrium dialysis, surface plasmon resonance, and the like. For example, an antibody that “specifically binds” Fel d1, as used in the context of the present invention, includes antibodies that bind Fel d1 or portion thereof with a K_(D) of less than about 1000 nM, less than about 500 nM, less than about 300 nM, less than about 200 nM, less than about 100 nM, less than about 90 nM, less than about 80 nM, less than about 70 nM, less than about 60 nM, less than about 50 nM, less than about 40 nM, less than about 30 nM, less than about 20 nM, less than about 10 nM, less than about 5 nM, less than about 4 nM, less than about 3 nM, less than about 2 nM, less than about 1 nM or less than about 0.5 nM, as measured in a surface plasmon resonance assay.

According to certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the Fel d1 monoclonal antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof that can be used in the context of the methods of the present invention comprise the heavy chain complementarity determining regions (HCDRs) of a heavy chain variable region (HCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 18 and the light chain complementarity determining regions (LCDRs) of a light chain variable region (LCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or 26. According to certain embodiments, the anti-Fel d1 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof comprises three HCDRs (HCDR1, HCDR2 and HCDR3) and three LCDRs (LCDR1, LCDR2 and LCDR3), wherein the HCDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 or 20; the HCDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:6 or 22; the HCDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:8 or 24; the LCDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:12 or 28; the LCDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:14 or 30; and the LCDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:16 or 32. In yet other embodiments, the anti-Fel d1 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof comprises an HCVR comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or 18 and an LCVR comprising SEQ ID NO:10 or 26. In certain embodiments, the methods of the invention provide for the use of a composition comprising two anti-Fel d1 monoclonal antibodies having the HCVR/LCVR amino acid sequence pairs as set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 2/10 and 18/26.

Pharmaceutical Compositions

The present invention may include methods, which comprise administering an allergen-specific antibody, e.g. a Fel d1 antibody, to a subject wherein the antibody is contained within a pharmaceutical composition. The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may be formulated with suitable carriers, excipients, and other agents that provide suitable transfer, delivery, tolerance, and the like. A multitude of appropriate formulations can be found in the formulary known to all pharmaceutical chemists: Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mack Publishing Company, Easton, Pa. These formulations include, for example, powders, pastes, ointments, jellies, waxes, oils, lipids, lipid (cationic or anionic) containing vesicles (such as LIPOFECTIN™), DNA conjugates, anhydrous absorption pastes, oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions, emulsions carbowax (polyethylene glycols of various molecular weights), semi-solid gels, and semi-solid mixtures containing carbowax. See also Powell et al. “Compendium of excipients for parenteral formulations” PDA (1998) J Pharm Sci Technol 52:238-311.

Various delivery systems are known and can be used to administer the pharmaceutical composition of the invention, e.g., encapsulation in liposomes, microparticles, microcapsules, recombinant cells capable of expressing the mutant viruses, receptor mediated endocytosis (see, e.g., Wu et al., 1987, J. Biol. Chem. 262:4429-4432). Methods of administration include, but are not limited to, intradermal, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intravenous, subcutaneous, intranasal, epidural, and oral routes. The composition may be administered by any convenient route, for example by infusion or bolus injection, by absorption through epithelial or mucocutaneous linings (e.g., oral mucosa, rectal and intestinal mucosa, etc.) and may be administered together with other biologically active agents.

A pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can be delivered subcutaneously or intravenously with a standard needle and syringe. In addition, with respect to subcutaneous delivery, a pen delivery device readily has applications in delivering a pharmaceutical composition of the present invention. Such a pen delivery device can be reusable or disposable. A reusable pen delivery device generally utilizes a replaceable cartridge that contains a pharmaceutical composition. Once all of the pharmaceutical composition within the cartridge has been administered and the cartridge is empty, the empty cartridge can readily be discarded and replaced with a new cartridge that contains the pharmaceutical composition. The pen delivery device can then be reused. In a disposable pen delivery device, there is no replaceable cartridge. Rather, the disposable pen delivery device comes prefilled with the pharmaceutical composition held in a reservoir within the device. Once the reservoir is emptied of the pharmaceutical composition, the entire device is discarded.

In certain situations, the pharmaceutical composition can be delivered in a controlled release system. In one embodiment, a pump may be used. In another embodiment, polymeric materials can be used; see, Medical Applications of Controlled Release, Langer and Wise (eds.), 1974, CRC Pres., Boca Raton, Fla. In yet another embodiment, a controlled release system can be placed in proximity of the composition's target, thus requiring only a fraction of the systemic dose (see, e.g., Goodson, 1984, in Medical Applications of Controlled Release, supra, vol. 2, pp. 115-138). Other controlled release systems are discussed in the review by Langer, 1990, Science 249:1527-1533.

The injectable preparations may include dosage forms for intravenous, subcutaneous, intracutaneous and intramuscular injections, drip infusions, etc. These injectable preparations may be prepared by known methods. For example, the injectable preparations may be prepared, e.g., by dissolving, suspending or emulsifying the antibody or its salt described above in a sterile aqueous medium or an oily medium conventionally used for injections. As the aqueous medium for injections, there are, for example, physiological saline, an isotonic solution containing glucose and other auxiliary agents, etc., which may be used in combination with an appropriate solubilizing agent such as an alcohol (e.g., ethanol), a polyalcohol (e.g., propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol), a nonionic surfactant [e.g., polysorbate 80, HCO-50 (polyoxyethylene (50 mol) adduct of hydrogenated castor oil)], etc. As the oily medium, there are employed, e.g., sesame oil, soybean oil, etc., which may be used in combination with a solubilizing agent such as benzyl benzoate, benzyl alcohol, etc. The injection thus prepared is preferably filled in an appropriate ampoule.

Advantageously, the pharmaceutical compositions for oral or parenteral use described above are prepared into dosage forms in a unit dose suited to fit a dose of the active ingredients. Such dosage forms in a unit dose include, for example, tablets, pills, capsules, injections (ampoules), suppositories, etc.

Exemplary pharmaceutical compositions comprising an anti-IL-4R antibody that can be used in the context of the present invention are disclosed, e.g., in US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0097565.

Dosage

The amount of Fel d1 antibody administered to a subject according to the methods of the present invention is, generally, a therapeutically effective amount. As used herein, the phrase “therapeutically effective amount” means an amount of the antibody that results in one or more of: (a) a reduction in the severity or duration of an allergic reaction; (b) the alleviation of one or more symptoms or indicia of an allergic reaction; (c) prevention or alleviation of anaphylaxis; (d) a reduction in serum IgE level; (e) a reduction in the use or need for conventional allergy therapy (e.g., reduced or eliminated use of antihistamines, decongestants, nasal or inhaled steroids, anti-IgE treatment, epinephrine, etc.).

In the case of an anti-Fel d1 antibody, a therapeutically effective amount can be from about 0.05 mg to about 600 mg, e.g., about 0.05 mg, about 0.1 mg, about 1.0 mg, about 1.5 mg, about 2.0 mg, about 10 mg, about 20 mg, about 30 mg, about 40 mg, about 50 mg, about 60 mg, about 70 mg, about 80 mg, about 90 mg, about 100 mg, about 110 mg, about 120 mg, about 130 mg, about 140 mg, about 150 mg, about 160 mg, about 170 mg, about 180 mg, about 190 mg, about 200 mg, about 210 mg, about 220 mg, about 230 mg, about 240 mg, about 250 mg, about 260 mg, about 270 mg, about 280 mg, about 290 mg, about 300 mg, about 310 mg, about 320 mg, about 330 mg, about 340 mg, about 350 mg, about 360 mg, about 370 mg, about 380 mg, about 390 mg, about 400 mg, about 410 mg, about 420 mg, about 430 mg, about 440 mg, about 450 mg, about 460 mg, about 470 mg, about 480 mg, about 490 mg, about 500 mg, about 510 mg, about 520 mg, about 530 mg, about 540 mg, about 550 mg, about 560 mg, about 570 mg, about 580 mg, about 590 mg, or about 600 mg, of the anti-IL-4R antibody. In certain embodiments, 300 mg of an anti-IL-4R antibody is administered.

The amount of Fel d1 antibody contained within the individual doses may be expressed in terms of milligrams of antibody per kilogram of patient body weight (i.e., mg/kg). For example, the antibody may be administered to a patient at a dose of about 0.0001 to about 10 mg/kg of patient body weight.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to make and use the methods and compositions of the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers used (e.g., amounts, temperature, etc.) but some experimental errors and deviations should be accounted for. Unless indicated otherwise, parts are parts by weight, molecular weight is average molecular weight, temperature is in degrees Centigrade, and pressure is at or near atmospheric.

Example 1. Blocking Mast Cell Degranulation by Polyclonal Antibodies Generated During Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy Against the Cat Allergen Fel d1 and with Human Monoclonal Antibodies that Specifically Bind Fel d1

The passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in vivo model is used to assess in vivo mast cell degranulation. The model relies on the passive transfer of antisera containing allergen-specific mouse polyclonal IgE, which binds to FcεR1 on mast cells near the site of administration. The mice are effectively “sensitized” locally to the specific antigen(s) (either Fel d 1 or peanut as a control) used to generate the antiserum. When antigen is subsequently injected systemically as an allergen challenge along with Evan's blue dye, antigen-induced mast cell degranulation results in rapid capillary dilation and increased vascular permeability that can be visualized and quantitated by measuring dye leakage into the reaction site. In this model, the peanut-sensitized ear provides an internal control for the specificity of the effector cell response when Fel d 1 is injected as the challenge. Mast cell activation has several measurable downstream effects. For instance, mucosal-associated mast cell release of histamine and other molecules stimulates the dilation of blood vessels, irritation of nerve endings and an increase in fluid accumulation. These events cause local swelling, increased mucus production and itching, which together lead to the symptoms characteristic of an ocular allergic response and allergic rhinitis in humans. The PCA model, which measures mast cell-induced vascular permeability, has been used to study hypersensitivity in various settings (Bradley, et al. 1991, J Allergy Clin Immunol; 88:661-74). In particular, the PCA model is a sensitive model that has been used to test the ability of Fel d 1-specific antibodies, both alone and as multi-antibody cocktails, to block mast cell degranulation induced by Fel d 1.

SIT is a disease modifying therapy that introduces a regimen of increasing doses of allergen with the goal of stimulating immune tolerance through repeated exposure, a process that can take years to confer protection. SIT has been shown to induce the production of allergen-specific polyclonal immunoglobulins (IgGs) that, when passively transferred, inhibit immediate inflammatory responses in allergic patients that have not undergone SIT (Cooke, et al, 1935. 62:733-50).

The PCA model can be used to assess the degree to which polyclonal IgG antibodies generated during SIT block mast cell degranulation induced by Fel d 1. The PCA model can also be used to compare the protective effect of SIT-induced polyclonal IgG antibodies to the protective effect of Fel d 1-specific monoclonal antibodies, administered passively as either individual or as multi-antibody cocktails. While the present study describes the results obtained using blood samples obtained from patients undergoing allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) for the cat allergen Fel d1, it is feasible that similar results may be observed using samples from patients after undergoing SIT for other allergens. Moreover, the method described herein can be used to determine if a patient has responded to SIT by assessing the amount and/or capability of allergen-specific IgG in a patient sample to prevent mast cell degranulation.

Methods and Results

For generating antisera used in the PCA model, Balb/c mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection on day 0 with 5 μg natural Fel d1 protein purified from cat hair extract (Indoor Biotechnologies, #LTN-FD1-1) or with 5 μg of crude peanut allergen extract (Greer Laboratories, #XPF171D3A25) in a solution of 1 mg/ml of alum (Pierce, #77161) in 1× phosphate buffered saline. Two weeks later (day 14) sensitized mice were boosted with doses of allergen identical to those used for the initial immunization. Two weeks after the boost (day 28), mice were sacrificed and serum was collected. Total IgE concentration in the isolated antisera was determined by ELISA. The final concentration of antiserum was diluted to 2500 ng/mL total IgE in 1× phosphate buffered saline.

For generating antibodies to Fel d1, an immunogen comprising any one of the following can be used. In certain embodiments, the antibodies of the invention are obtained from mice immunized with a primary immunogen, such as full length natural Fel d1 (nFel d1), which may be purchased commercially (e.g., from Indoor Biotechnologies, #LTN-FD1-1), or isolated from cat hair or dander by multi-step column chromatography (See, for example, Chapman M D, et al. (1988), J. Immunol. 140:812-818), or which may be produced recombinantly (See GenBank accession numbers P30438, or NP_001041618.1 for the full length amino acid sequence of chain 1 of Fel d1, also referred to as chain A or FELD1 A; also see SEQ ID NO: 33) and GenBank accession number P30440, or NP_001041619.1 for the full length amino acid sequence of chain 2 of Fel d1 (also referred to as chain B or FELD B; also see SEQ ID NO: 34), or fragments of either chain 1 or chain 2, or fragments from both chain 1 and chain 2 of the Fel d1 protein, followed by immunization with a secondary immunogen, or with an immunogenically active fragment of the natural protein. Animals may be immunized with either chain 1 protein alone or chain 2 protein alone, or with both chain 1 and chain 2 proteins, administered sequentially, or concurrently. Various constructs may be prepared using portions of chain 1 and chain 2 along with various linking or spacer strategies known to those skilled in the art. These constructs may be used alone, or in various combinations to elicit antibody responses in vivo.

Fully human Fel d 1-specific monoclonal antibodies H4H1232N, H4H2636P and H4H1238 were generated as described herein (See also U.S. Ser. No. 13/875,401) and the amino acid sequences of the heavy chain and light chain variable regions and their respective heavy chain and light chain complementary determining regions are included herein and are shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 Ab Protein Identification Amino Acid SEQ ID NOs No. HCVR HCDR1 HCDR2 HCDR3 LCVR LCDR1 LCDR2 LCDR3 H4H1232N 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 H4H2636P 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 H4H1238N 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50

Sera were collected from cat allergic patients who had either undergone or not undergone specific immunotherapy for cat allergy. The concentration of total IgG (and therefore of Fel d 1-specific IgG) contained in these samples was then increased to support administration in vivo in the PCA model. This was achieved by isolation of total IgG using protein G affinity resin, dialysis of the eluted IgG into PBS, and then concentration of the total IgG using a molecular weight cut-off membrane. Total and Fel d 1-specific IgG levels were quantitated in sera samples and purified IgG from cat allergic patients using an ELISA. Microtiter plates were coated with 2 μg/mL of either natural Fel d 1 (LoTox nFel d 1, #LTN-FD1) or anti-human IgG (Jackson Immunoresearch, #109-005-098) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) overnight at 4° C. The plates were blocked with 0.5% bovine serum albumin (BSA). Sera or purified IgG were serially diluted in 0.5% BSA-PBS and added to the plates and incubated for 1 hour at RT. For total IgG quantitation, a standard curve was generated using human IgG (Thermo Scientific, #31154), while for Fel d 1-specific IgG quantitation, a standard curve was generated using a Fel d 1 human kappa monoclonal antibody (H4H1238N). Goat anti-human IgG-Fc-Horse Radish Peroxidase (HRP) conjugated secondary antibody (Jackson Immunoresearch, Catalogue No. 109-035-098) was added (1:5000 dilution), followed by addition of TMB/H₂O₂ substrate to detect IgG. Concentrations of total and Fel d 1 specific IgG were computed from the respective standard curve plots and are shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Characterization of Sera Obtained from Cat Allergic Patients Total Fel d Total Fel d 1-specific SIT Total Human Purified and 1-specific IgG in Purified Sample Immuno- Duration IgG in Sera concentrated IgG in Sera and concentrated Name therapy (months) (mg/ml) IgG (mg/ml) (mg/ml) Sera (mg/ml) AMC-003 NO 0 14.7 107 Not 0.008 detectable AMC-004 NO 0 11.1 112 Not 0.007 detectable AMC-005 YES 14 18.1 131 0.014 0.059 AMC-007 YES 20 14.8 146 0.013 0.119 AMC-010 YES 37 15.8 161 0.050 0.463 AMC-001 NO 0 12.6 61.7 0.005 0.025 AMC-002 YES 27 8.9 61.7 0.013 0.078 AMC-006 NO 0 13.7 60.6 Not 0.010 detectable AMC-008 YES 20 13.1 67.1 Not 0.015 detectable AMC-009 NO 0 10.4 62.7 Not 0.015 detectable

The concentration of Fel d 1-specific IgG was highest in a serum sample from the patient who had undergone SIT for the longest duration (sample AMC-010 exhibited serum levels of 0.050 mg/mL after SIT treatment spanning 37 months). For sera from cat allergic patients who did not undergo SIT (see patients AMC-003, AMC-004, AMC-001, AMC-006 and AMC-009), Fel d 1-specific IgG levels were either 0.005 mg/ml or below the detection limit in initial sera but could be measured after the protein G isolation and concentration procedure. For the four sera samples from patients subjected to SIT with measurable Fel d 1 specific IgG in the initial sera (AMC-005, AMC-007, AMC-010, AMC-002), the protein G isolation and concentration procedure resulted in increasing the Fel d 1-specific IgG concentrations by factors of 4.2, 9.2, 9.3, and 6.0 respectively, relative to the concentration in the initial serum (calculated based on the numbers in Table 2).

To evaluate the protective effect in the PCA model from administration of the patient-derived IgG and from a cocktail of two Fel d 1-specific antibodies that do not cross-compete for binding to Fel d 1 (See US2013/0295097), groups of Balb/c mice were injected subcutaneously with either of four different treatments: i) a human IgG4 isotype control antibody, ii) a combination of Fel d 1-specific antibodies H4H1232N/H4H2636P, iii) IgG isolated from cat allergic patients (AMC-003 and AMC-004) who had not undergone SIT, or iv) IgG isolated from cat allergic patients (AMC-005, AMC-007 and AMC-010) who had undergone SIT for cat allergy. The IgG4 isotype control antibody and the combination of two Fel d 1 antibodies were injected subcutaneously at doses of 1 mg/kg total antibody (0.5 mg/kg of each antibody for the H4H1232N/H4H2636P combination treatment). The isolated and concentrated IgG samples from cat allergic patients (either with or without SIT therapy) were injected at volumes approximately one-tenth the blood volume of the mice used in these studies (i.e., 200 uL volumes were injected, and the expected blood volume is approximately 2.0 mL for a 20 g mouse). Given the concentration factors described above for the SIT patient serum samples, this dosing procedure was expected to reconstitute approximately 42%, 92%, and 93%, respectively, of the original serum levels of Fel d 1-specific IgG for samples AMC-005, AMC-007, and AMC-010, respectively. Three days after pre-treatment with antibodies, mice were sensitized by intradermal injection with 10 μl of natural Fel d 1-derived antiserum or 10 μl of peanut-derived antiserum (negative control) into the right and left ears, respectively, of each mouse. Twenty-four hours after sensitization, mice were challenged by intravenous injection (100 μL per mouse) of a solution of 1 μg/mL natural Fel d 1 (Indoor Biotechnologies, #LTN-FD1-1) dissolved in 1× phosphate buffered saline containing 0.5% (w/v) Evan's blue dye (Sigma, #E2129). One hour after antigen challenge, mice were sacrificed, ears were excised and placed in 1 mL formamide and incubated for 3 days at 56° C. to extract the Evan's blue dye from the tissue. Ear tissue was then removed from the formamide, blotted to remove excess liquid and weighed. Two hundred microliter aliquots of each formamide extract were transferred to 96 well plates in duplicate. Absorbance of the resulting supernatants was measured at 620 nm. The OD was converted to Evan's blue dye concentration using a standard curve. The average concentration of Evan's blue dye extravasated into the tissue of the antisera-sensitized ear (normalized by ear tissue weight) was calculated for the group treated with the isotype control antibody and defined as F(isotype,avg). The reduction in Evan's blue dye extravasation resulting from antibody pre-treatment was calculated per mouse by subtracting the amount of Evan's blue dye for the antibody-treated group's Fel d 1 extract sensitized ear, defined as F(mAb,i), from F(isotype,avg). This number was then divided by the difference between F(isotype,avg) and the dye amount for the antibody-treated group's peanut sensitized ear [P(mAb,i)] and multiplied by 100 to give the overall percent reduction in dye extravasation for each mouse (% Reduction).

% Reduction (per mouse)=100*[F(isotype,avg)−F(mAb,i)]/[F(isotype,avg)−P(mAb,i)]

The average percent reduction in dye leakage was then calculated for each group. Results, expressed as (mean±SEM) of percent Evan's blue reduction are shown in Table 3. All reductions that were statistically significant (p<0.05) compared to isotype control as determined by two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni's post-test are noted with an asterisk (*). The number of mice used per group (n) is noted within parentheses in the tables.

TABLE 3 Percent reduction in dye extravasation in the PCA model % Reduction in Dye Treatment Extravasation (±SEM) H4H1232N/H4H2636P (n = 10) 63 ± 4* AMC-005 (SIT IgG) (n = 9) 20 ± 4  AMC-007 (SIT IgG) (n = 10) 50 ± 5* AMC-010 (SIT IgG) (n = 10) 67 ± 4* AMC-003 (non-SIT IgG) (n = 10) 13 ± 2  AMC-004 (non-SIT IgG)(n = 10) 5 ± 6

As shown in Table 3, groups of mice when treated with the Fel d 1 antibody cocktail H4H1232N/H4H2636P exhibit a 63% reduction in dye extravasation compared to mice receiving control antibody. Mice treated with cat allergic sera from patients who underwent SIT exhibit 20% (AMC-005), 50% (AMC-007) and 67% (AMC-010) reductions in dye extravasation compared to mice receiving isotype control antibody demonstrating that purified IgG from cat allergic patients who underwent SIT are efficacious in this model. The percent reduction in dye extravasation correlates with the duration of SIT therapy and also the amount of Fel d 1 specific IgG present in the sera (Table 2). Mice treated with cat allergic sera from patients who did not undergo SIT exhibited 13% (AMC-003) and 5% (AMC-004) reductions in dye extravasation compared to mice receiving control antibody, which did not achieve statistical significance in this study compared to treatment with isotype control.

As shown in Table 3 the H4H1232N/H4H2636P antibody cocktail at its dose of 1 mg/kg (0.5 mg/kg each mAb) achieved similar potency (63±4% reduction in dye extravasation) as treatment with the SIT patient-derived sample with the highest Fel d 1-specific IgG concentration (sample AMC-010; 67±4% reduction in dye extravasation). The approximate dosing level for AMC-010 can be estimated as ˜4.6 mg/kg since 0.093 mg of Fel d 1-specific IgG was injected per mouse (200 uL per injection*0.46 mg/mL of Fel d 1-specific IgG in this sample), and the approximate weight per mouse was 0.020 kg. This demonstrates that the H4H1232N/H4H2636P treatment was about 5-fold more potent than the SIT patient derived Fel d 1-specific IgG based on total antibody mass dosage.

Example 2. Peanut Specific Antibodies Generated Through Allergen Specific Immunotherapy Block Mast Cell Degranulation in a Mouse Peanut Allergy Model Methods/Experimental Design

A mouse peanut specific immunotherapy model was developed based in part on the model delineated in Kulis et al., J. Allergy Clin Immunol. 127(1):81-88(2011). An outline of the experimental protocol is shown in FIG. 1a . Two groups of mice were used in these experiments. One group (‘SIT’) was subjected to a peanut specific immunotherapy regimen comprising a Sensitization Phase, a Build-up Phase, and a Challenge. The Sensitization Phase consisted of administration of 0.5 mg peanut extract (Greer laboratories, Part Number XPF171D3A25)+2 mg Alum administered intraperitoneally on Days 0, 7 and 28. The Build-up Phase consisted of twelve separate intraperitoneal administrations of various increasing doses of peanut extract shown in FIG. 1a without Alum on Days 49, 51, 53, 56, 58, 60, 63, 65, 67, 70, 72 and 74. The Challenge consisted of intraperitoneal administration of 1 mg of peanut extract on Day 98. The other group of mice (No SIT′) was subjected to a Sensitization phase and a challenge phase.

To assess the extent of anaphylaxis in this system and the efficacy of the specific immunotherapy, mouse core temperature was measured over the course of 180 minutes following the challenge injection. A decrease in core temperature is a measure of anaphylaxis. Mice subjected to the peanut specific immunotherapy regimen were protected from the peanut induced decrease in core temperature (FIG. 1B). Sera from these mice that had either undergone or not undergone peanut specific immunotherapy were collected at the completion of the experiment (day 98) for immunoglobulin measurements. Total IgE, peanut-specific IgG1 and peanut specific IgG2a at day 96 are shown in Table 4. Total IgE was determined in the samples using a mouse IgE ELISA kit (BD OpT EIA, #555248) according to the manufacturers instructions. Peanut specific IgG1 and peanut specific IgG2a were determined by sandwich ELISAs using coated peanut extract as the capture surface and anti-mouse IgG2 antibody (HRP-rat anti-mouse IgG2a from BD biosciences, Cat. No. 553391) or anti-mouse IgG1 antibody (HRP-rat anti-mouse IgG1 from BD biosciences, Cat. No. 559626) for detection. Total IgE, peanut specific IgG1 and peanut IgG2a levels are higher in serum samples from mice that received SIT (Table 4).

To evaluate the protective effect of SIT, the PCA model was conducted in groups of Balb/c mice that were subcutaneously administered 200 μl of either PBS, sera from mice that received SIT or sera from mice that were sensitized and did not receive SIT. Three days after the treatment with sera, mice were sensitized by either intradermal injection with 10 μl of peanut-extract-derived antiserum or 10 μl of Fel d 1 derived antiserum (negative control) into the right and left ears, respectively, of each mouse. Twenty-four hours after sensitization, mice were challenged by intravenous injection (100 μl per mouse) of a solution comprised of 250 μg of peanut extract dissolved in 1×PBS containing 0.5% Evans blue dye (Sigma, #E2129).

One hour after antigen challenge, mice were sacrificed, ears were excised and placed in 1 mL formamide and incubated for 3 days at 56° C. to extract the Evans blue dye from the tissue. Ear tissue was then removed from the formamide, blotted to remove excess liquid and weighed. Two hundred microliter aliquots of each formamide extract were transferred to 96 well plates in duplicate. Fluorescence of the resulting supernatants was measured using an excitation measurement of 625 nm and emission measurement of 680 nm. The fluorescence was converted to Evans blue dye concentration using a standard curve. The average concentration of Evans blue dye extravasated into the tissue of the antisera-sensitized ear (normalized by ear tissue weight) was calculated for the group treated with Control PBS treated and defined as F(control,avg). The reduction in Evans blue dye extravasation resulting from antibody pre-treatment was calculated per mouse by subtracting the amount of Evans blue dye for the Sera-treated group's peanut extract sensitized ear, defined as F(sera,i), from F(control,avg). This number was then divided by the difference between F(control,avg) and the dye amount for the antibody-treated group's peanut sensitized ear [P(sera,i)] and multiplied by 100 to give the overall percent reduction in dye extravasation for each mouse (% Reduction).

The average percent reduction in dye leakage was then calculated for each group. Results, expressed as (mean±SD) of percent Evans blue reduction are shown in Table 5. All reductions that were statistically significant (p<0.05) compared to isotype control as determined by two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni's post-test are noted with an asterisk (*). The number of mice used per group (n) is noted within parentheses in the tables.

Results

As shown in table 5, groups of mice when treated with peanut SIT antisera exhibit a 97% reduction in dye extravasation compared to mice that received PBS alone. The percent reduction in dye extravasation correlates with peanut specific IgG present in the sera, demonstrating the protective effects of peanut specific IgG that is present in the SIT antisera in this model.

TABLE 4 Characterization of sera obtained from mice in a peanut specific immunotherapy model No SIT (n = 5) SIT (n = 4) Total IgE (ng/mL) 1656 7896 Peanut specific IgG1 (titer) 60596 8287003 Peanut specific IgG2a (titer) 764 26821

TABLE 5 Percent reduction in dye extravasation in the PCA model % Reduction in Dye extravasation (±SD) Treatment as compared with PBS control No SIT (n = 5) 0 SIT (n = 5) 97 ± 5

Example 3. An In Vitro Assay/Method to Assess the Ability of Antibodies to Block the Binding of Allergen-Specific Polyclonal IgE to Allergen

Below is described an assay to evaluate the blockade of Fel d 1 binding to cat allergic human IgE by Fel d 1-specific IgGs isolated from subjects treated by allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT).

Blocking Fel d 1 Binding to Allergen Specific IgE by Antibodies Isolated from Patients Undergoing SIT

The ability of IgG antibodies from a cat allergic SIT patient serum to block Fel d 1 binding to plate-captured IgE from cat allergic human donor plasma/sera was determined using a blocking ELISA. Microtiter plates were coated overnight at 4° C. with a human FcεR1α (the high affinity receptor for IgE) extracellular domain protein that was produced with a C-terminal mouse Fc tag (hFcεR1α-mFc; SEQ ID NO: 51). Plates were blocked with 0.5% BSA (w/v) for 1 hour at room temperature (RT). Plasma from Fel d 1 cat positive allergic donors (Plasma Lab International, Everett, Wash.) was diluted 5-fold and total IgE was captured over the receptor-coated surface. A constant amount of recombinant Fel d 1 produced with a C-terminal myc-myc-hexahistidine tag (Fel d 1-mmH; SEQ ID NO: 52) (0.7 nM) was pre-mixed with serial dilutions of Fel d 1 antibodies (isolated by protein G affinity purification from sera from human patients undergoing cat allergen specific immunotherapy) ranging from 66.67 nM to 1.13 pM and incubated for 1 hour at RT. The antibody-Fel d 1 mixture was then added to the IgE-coated plate for 1 hour. Plates were subsequently washed and the amount of free Fel d 1-mmH bound to plate was detected using an anti-myc antibody derived from clone 9E10 (Evan G I, et al. Isolation of monoclonal antibodies specific for human c-myc proto-oncogene product. Mol. Cell. Biol. 5: 3610-3616, 1985) that was produced in-house as a human IgG1 isotype, conjugated to HRP, and incubated at a final concentration of 0.102 ug/mL for 1 hour at RT. Plates were washed with PBS-T in between each step of the ELISA protocol described above. To develop the colorimetric reaction, TMB/H₂O₂ substrate was added to the plates and incubated for 20 minutes at RT. The reaction was stopped using 2N sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄; VWR, #BDH3500-1). Absorbance was subsequently measured on a spectrophotometer (Victor, Perkin Elmer) at 450 nm. The concentration of antibody required to inhibit the signal of a constant concentration of Fel d 1 by 50% (IC₅₀) was determined using Prism software (data not shown).

Representative results from the blocking assay are shown in FIGS. 2-3 for two different cat allergic human donor IgE samples. Purified IgG isolated from patients undergoing SIT with detectable levels of Fel d 1 specific IgG blocked Fel d 1 binding to FcεR1α-captured allergic IgE to the assay baseline (complete blocking), while an irrelevant control antibody did not block. Similar complete blocking in this assay was observed for SIT IgG from 4 additional allergic donors that were tested. When sera from patients undergoing SIT were collected at different time points (once in 2013 and once in 2014), the blocking activity was maintained (data not shown). IgG from a patient not undergoing SIT exhibited a low degree of blocking, but only at the highest antibody concentration tested in the assay (FIGS. 2-3, non SIT IgG). This may be attributable to the low, but detectable, levels of Fel d 1 specific IgG in this sample (See Table 2).

Similar results as described above and in FIG. 2 using captured Fel d 1 allergic human IgE were also observed using captured polyclonal mouse IgE obtained from the sera of mice immunized with Fel d 1 protein. The capture surface was effective in this assay because human FcεR1α binds to mouse IgE. The ability of Fel d 1-specific IgG isolated from three different human SIT sera samples to block the binding of Fel d1-mmH to captured mouse IgE from Fel d 1-immunized mice is shown in FIG. 4.

Example 4: Blocking Fel d 1 Binding to Allergen Specific IgE by Anti-Fel d 1 Polyclonal Serum from Mice Immunized with Fel d 1

Polyclonal serum from a mouse immunized with Fel d 1 mFc (REGN573; SEQ ID NO: 53) was used as a source of Fel d 1 specific IgG to mimic the IgG from allergy patients undergoing immunotherapy in the blocking assay described above. The immune mouse serum was serially diluted starting from 1:50 and diluted 3-fold. The immune serum blocked Fel d 1 binding to FcεR1α-captured allergy IgE to the assay baseline, while pooled pre-immune sera did not block (FIG. 5). 

1-65. (canceled)
 66. A method of determining if a patient suffering from an allergy to an allergen is responsive to therapy with one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen, the method comprising: (a) collecting a sample of tissue or an extract thereof, or a biological fluid, or a blood sample from the patient; (b) extracting an allergen-specific IgE from one or more of the patient samples of (a); (c) mixing the IgE from the patient sample with the allergen and with one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen; and (d) determining if the addition of the antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen blocks the binding of the allergen specific IgE from step b) to the allergen, wherein the ability of the one or more antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof specific for the allergen to block the binding of allergen specific IgE from step b) to the allergen is indicative that the patient suffering from an allergy is responsive to therapy with the one or more antibodies specific for the allergy.
 67. (canceled)
 68. The method of claim 66, wherein the allergen is Fel d1.
 69. The method of claim 66, wherein the one or more antibodies specific for the allergen are human monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to Fel d1, and wherein the one or more antibodies comprise the heavy chain complementary determining regions (HCDRs) of a heavy chain variable region (HCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 18 and the light chain complementarity determining regions (LCDRs) of a light chain variable region (LCVR) comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or
 26. 70. The method of claim 66, wherein the one or more human monoclonal antibodies or antigen binding fragments that bind specifically to Fel d1 comprise three HCDRs (HCDR1, HCDR2 and HCDR3) and three LCDRs (LCDR1, LCDR2 and LDR3), wherein the HCDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 20; the HCDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6 or 22; the HCDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or 24; the LCDR1 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12 or 28; the LCDR2 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 14 or 30; and the LCDR3 comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 16 or
 32. 71. The method of claim 66, wherein the one or more human monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to Fel d1 comprises a HCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 18 and a LCVR comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or
 26. 72. The method of claim 66, wherein the one or more human monoclonal antibodies that bind specifically to Fel d1 comprise the HCVR/LCVR amino acid sequence pairs of SEQ ID NOs: 2/10 or SEQ ID NOs:18/26. 